Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

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What is this strange blue glow—as mysterious as Mona Lisa’s smile? Miles said that he
had wanted to draw closer to African and Gospel music as well as the blues, but admitted
that he had failed in this intention. Nonetheless, he created his most indisputable
masterpiece, containing two of the most popular standards of modern jazz, “So What”
and “All Blues.” On “Flamenco Sketches,” Miles struck out to explore the harmonic
realms of modal music, which he would radicalize ten years later. He also borrowed
from Bill Evans, the principal creator of this album, the kind of blue that is reflected in
“Blue In Green.” For the last time, Miles called back the pianist who had just left his
quintet, and it was Evans’ harmonic conceptions, inspired by early 20th century
European music, that dominated Kind Of Blue. Wynton Kelly, the group’s new pianist,
only appeared once, on “Freddie Freeloader,” and was stung sharply by this affront: the
ultimate touch of bright red to heighten the depth of the blue.